San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 Storylines to Watch in Training Camp
By Peter Panacy
The Starting Quarterback Situation
Who starts under center for the 49ers in 2016? Will it be quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who earned the job during the latter half of last season? Or will embattled signal-caller Colin Kaepernick get the chance to finally revive his dwindling career?
Gabbert may have the edge, so far. With Kaepernick recovering from offseason surgeries, and not cleared to practice for OTAs, his competition received first-team reps.
It might not mean much now, but it’s safe to say Kaepernick will need to put together a very strong training camp if he wants to usurp Gabbert in Week 1.
"I think Kaepernick fully understands this has got to be the training camp of his life." https://t.co/c3qkQsV5TT pic.twitter.com/7TUAUHmwuX
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 13, 2016
Even that might not be enough.
Despite positive remarks from head coach Chip Kelly, Gabbert may still be the favorite to land the starting gig. ESPN’s John Clayton reported Kelly “is particularly pleased with Gabbert,” and that Gabbert has “a substantial lead” in the competition between he and Kaepernick.
It’s entirely possible Kaepernick could have a very good training camp and yet it wouldn’t be enough to secure the starting job.
Gabbert has also drawn praise from Kelly too. So it makes perfect sense to see any truths behind Clayton’s report.
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Kaepernick won’t get the starting job by default. So training camp will have to be the time in which the former 49ers starter 100 percent outshines his competition and proves to the 49ers he is the bona fide option.
And it isn’t as if Gabbert wants to simply stand by and watch it unfold that way.
So look for the quarterback situation to be one of, if not the biggest, storylines to watch during camp.
Next: Why the 49ers Can Fly Under the Radar in 2016
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.